Last year, the special interests bankrolling Amendment 4 announced that they had paid for enough signatures to place their measure on the 2010 ballot. This irresponsible attempt to change our state's constitution will have dire impacts on Florida's economy and quality of life.
Many of you have supported and even participated in the efforts of Citizens for Lower Taxes and a Stronger Economy, the statewide campaign leading the fight against this extreme amendment.
Not familiar with Amendment 4? Don't worry; this article will fill you in.
Not sure how you can help? Citizens for Lower Taxes and a Stronger Economy has organized a highly-effective grassroots network and there are numerous ways for you, your company, your family and your professional association to get involved.
In 2003, special interest lawyers wrote a proposal aimed at stopping Florida's economic growth at any cost. They told voters that their idea would return "power to the people." Amendment 4 author and co-founder Ross Burnaman called the proposal "really, really simple." He said it just "involves giving yourself a vote on growth."
But for the first hometown to actually give this idea a test drive, the results have been anything but simple. Due to an appeals court decision, a local version of Amendment 4 became the law of the land in the small Pinellas County town of St. Pete Beach. At the time, Amendment 4 followers celebrated the decision.
More than three years later, economic stagnation and nearly a dozen crippling lawsuits have imposed a heavy cost on the citizens of St. Pete Beach. Unable to effectively update its local comprehensive plan, the town soon fell out of compliance with state laws.
Why? Amendment 4 required that any change to the local comprehensive plan - even small technical amendments - go to referendum. Burdened with long delays, heavier tax burdens and gross uncertainty, new businesses found it nearly impossible to move to St. Pete Beach. Stifled by a failing business climate, the tourism-based economy began to wither and jobs left town.
Fed up with Amendment 4's economic nightmare, a group of business owners, citizens and long-time residents organized a campaign to place four comprehensive plan changes on the ballot. After a long and exhausting effort, they succeeded. They did exactly what Amendment 4 co-founder Ross Burnaman said was "really, really simple": They gave the people a vote.
Not surprisingly, the citizens of St. Pete Beach voted overwhelmingly to authorize the pro-jobs amendments. With the people having spoken, that should have been the end of the story. If even remotely true to their rhetoric, Amendment 4 backers would have quickly applauded the election and moved on.
But that's not what happened.
Within twenty-four hours, Amendment 4 disciples had filed a lawsuit to overturn the very election their proposal had prescribed. Apparently, the lawyers backing Amendment 4 only support democratic decisions that conform to their agenda.
Three years after trumpeting the passage of their proposal in one small town, Amendment 4 supporters are now struggling to put space between themselves and the catastrophe in St. Pete Beach.
With this idea now headed for the statewide ballot, every Florida hometown is in jeopardy. There are three things you can do right now to help:
1. Visit the Citizens for Lower Taxes and a Stronger Economy website (www.florida2010.org ) to sign up for e-mail updates or make a contribution. You can also follow us on twitter (http://www.twitter.com/NoOn4Campaign) or join us on Face Book (http://tinyurl.com/llwwjf) or LinkedIn (http://tinyurl.com/l5g5r2).
2. Contact our field team to join your local stakeholder group (writing letters, spreading the word on the internet, or working on the Speaker's Buruea). If you live in Southeast Florida, please contact Aimee Craig Carlson at [email protected]. Elsewhere in the state? Please contact Jessica Sams at [email protected].
3. Share this message with your local professional associations, elected officials and good government groups. Ask them to contact the campaign to get engaged.
Our message is motivated by the firm belief that Amendment 4 is bad for Florida. As a result, the key to our strategy is education. History proves that the more voters learn about Amendment 4, the more likely they are to reject it. With your help, we will take our message to every community in Florida and win a decisive victory for our economy and quality-of-life.
RYAN HOUCK is the executive director of Orlando-based Citizens for Lower Taxes and a Stronger Economy.
